The subject system and method are generally directed to viewing, editing, and simulating a circuit design on a circuit design editor. The system and method generally provide for a division of layout-based interaction and schematic-based interaction, overlaying indicators upon corresponding layout elements to serve as surrogates for the layout elements when determining or editing schematic features thereof.
Modern electrical circuits and circuit boards are both highly complex and highly precise. Robust circuit design editors have therefore become increasingly important to the design process. Such editors allow a circuit designer or design team to arrange and rearrange various circuit components or elements and the interconnections therebetween, for later manufacture of the resulting circuit design. Many editors also enable simulation of a circuit's behavior, to test it for flaws in power, timing, or other important features, which assists the circuit designer in making any necessary adjustments. Additional benefits in many editors include automated measures for monitoring the design to confirm that its elements suitably comply with predetermined criteria. The circuit product can thereby be improved and brought into compliance with the criteria before time and expense is spent on manufacturing a physical circuit in accordance with the designed layout.
However, even a design tool can be expensive to operate for sufficiently complicated circuitry, in the time and computer memory required to run simulations and intelligibly present all features of the circuit, as well as in the computer storage space required for the data representing the circuit and the results of the simulation. It is therefore an ongoing effort in the field to develop more efficient processes for any and all of the above circuit editing features.